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"There's no such thing as a simple desire."
162 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 20, 2024
4.5, rounded down.
Having read (and very much liked) 5 of Gasda's most recent plays, I wanted to see what his earlier ones were like. This is the earliest one of his that has been published, originally staged in 2015, but remounted last Oct., and then again earlier this year in Mar. (I'm not sure if the play was revised any, but it doesn't appear to have been).
It concerns two 20-something roommates: Maisie, a neurotic, insecure musician, and Emily, a more knowing and sexually forthcoming painter. Maisie has been in a relationship for awhile with David, a slightly older man, who is also secretly boinking Emily. The play starts on the morning after Maisie has had a one-night stand with Max, a young aspiring writer - and as the play develops, these four discuss their varying attitudes towards love and life, while trying to figure out what each really wants.
At first, I thought the conversations were maybe a bit TOO on the nose, but then this is Gen Y, so perhaps they actually do talk in such terms; I'm a boomer, what do I know? If there are a few clunky sentences and speeches, most of what transpires is really interesting, provocative and intuitive.
Intriguingly, though it isn't specified in the script and nothing in the character requires such, it seems from production stills and materials that David is usually played by a black actor - which lends a racial aspect to the proceedings that I am not sure is intentional. The end scene is really quite brilliant, in that Maisie leaves a long message on an answering machine - and not till the last second do we know if the recipient is Max or David.
I'd really love to see a production of this; maybe some intrepid west coast company will take it on.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/regiona...
https://brooklyncenterfortheatreresea...
Having read (and very much liked) 5 of Gasda's most recent plays, I wanted to see what his earlier ones were like. This is the earliest one of his that has been published, originally staged in 2015, but remounted last Oct., and then again earlier this year in Mar. (I'm not sure if the play was revised any, but it doesn't appear to have been).
It concerns two 20-something roommates: Maisie, a neurotic, insecure musician, and Emily, a more knowing and sexually forthcoming painter. Maisie has been in a relationship for awhile with David, a slightly older man, who is also secretly boinking Emily. The play starts on the morning after Maisie has had a one-night stand with Max, a young aspiring writer - and as the play develops, these four discuss their varying attitudes towards love and life, while trying to figure out what each really wants.
At first, I thought the conversations were maybe a bit TOO on the nose, but then this is Gen Y, so perhaps they actually do talk in such terms; I'm a boomer, what do I know? If there are a few clunky sentences and speeches, most of what transpires is really interesting, provocative and intuitive.
Intriguingly, though it isn't specified in the script and nothing in the character requires such, it seems from production stills and materials that David is usually played by a black actor - which lends a racial aspect to the proceedings that I am not sure is intentional. The end scene is really quite brilliant, in that Maisie leaves a long message on an answering machine - and not till the last second do we know if the recipient is Max or David.
I'd really love to see a production of this; maybe some intrepid west coast company will take it on.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/regiona...
https://brooklyncenterfortheatreresea...
Displaying 1 of 1 review